PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps- Hacked...

If you've ever had the famous appetizer chicken lettuce wraps from American-based restaurant chain PF Chang's China Bistro, you'll understand why there are so many copycat recipes out there. And a lot of it has to do with the ultra-tasty sauce you spoon over!

May is Asian Heritage Month and it's being recognized at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) with many opportunities and events to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Asian Canadians and to convey the narratives and wisdom of various Asian cultures. The theme this year is, “Our stories. Our voices. Our journey.” In this spirit and to share an especially fond and approachable dish that everyone will love from my Chinese culture- this delicious chicken-shiitake mushroom-water chestnut mixture in crispy lettuce cups! Yes, my copycat recipe which I've toyed over hours to get the sauce just right has made its rounds in each of my cooking programs. Frying up thin rice noodles make for a wow wow scene in the skillet, creating curling white popped strands, that gets crunched up for a crispy topping. And last but not least.. da beast of a sauce that ties it all together with each bite-- savoury, sweet, piquant and tangy- the dressing for success. Don't be deterred by all the sauce ingredients-- trust me each one lends its special characteristic to the ultra-tastiness and will make the finale spectacular- just ask all my wide-eyed, swooning students who've tried it. Some have recreated it already in their kitchens to raving reviews 😊.

PF Chang Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Hacked) 
Makes 6 servings

2 Tbsp. oil 
1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, diced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, if dried, hydrate in water to cover for four hours, drain and chop 
1 cup water chestnuts, diced 
1 green onion, chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce, peeled into cups, and torn into hand-size pieces 
A handful of dried vermicelli thin rice noodles

Special Sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar 
1/2 cup water 
2 Tbsp. soy sauce 
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 
2 Tbsp. ketchup 
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 
1/8 tsp. sesame oil 
1 Tbsp. hot Chinese mustard or Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. water 
sambal oelek chili sauce to taste

Stir Fry Sauce:
2 Tbsp. soy sauce 
2 Tbsp. brown sugar 
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar 

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add all the ingredients except the mustard and chili sauce. Mix well and refrigerate. Add mustard and chili sauce when ready to use as a dipping sauce. 

Freezing the chicken for one hour makes it easier to slice and dice.

Enjoying the lettuce cups with my family for dinner.

Cooking with the seniors in my Chinatown Chinese Cooking Program as part of Learn4Life.

Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl for the stir-fry sauce. Heat oil in wok/skillet over high heat. Sauté chicken for one minute, then add the garlic and mushrooms; cook for one minute more before adding the water chestnuts. Pour the stir fry sauce and sauté the mixture until cooked. Toss with green onions. 

Heat ½ cup of oil until hot and fry the vermicelli in strands or a bunch. Crumble on top of chicken in a serving bowl along with lettuce "cups" and serve with special sauce.

Notes about making beautiful lettuce cups. You can do it two ways. Core the stem of the iceberg lettuce head. Remove the outer flimsy leaves. One way is to cut the lettuce head in half, remove the inner smaller cups onto a platter and then cut the remaining head in half or in thirds depending the size so you end with a palm size wrap, OR/ submerge the entire head with core removed-facing up in a basin of cold water to cover. The water flowing inward will create pressure that separates the leaves, making them easy to unravel, and then cut to size. The thing with this method is the leaves get super wet, and you need to either drain the leaves over a big colander for several hours or use a salad spinner to spin dry.

Nice lettuce wraps ladies!

Over at Beverley Heights Middle School, I cut pieces of peppers, red and green onions, carrots and offered cilantro so students in the lunch cooking club can choose what they like to customize their wraps with additional veggies, and to practice their knife skills. We cook out of a staff room with no appliances except a microwave, so I skillet-cooked the chicken mixture at home, separating the chopped shiitake mushrooms for those who prefer no mushrooms. I fried the vermicelli and made the finishing sauce beforehand too. We heated up the chicken-water chestnut mixture in the microwave and the kids loved them too much that they devoured them before I was ready to take photos lol.

This was the final plating scene at Marc Garneau cooking with grade 9s early Monday morning period.

Shredded carrots add vitamins and colour to the gorgeous wraps.

Chicken lettuce cups for breakfast-- why not? No one was complaining 😃

And over here with my lovely parents at Fraser Mustard, just before they headed off for a month of Ramadan (fasting), cooking with halal chicken thighs and preparing everything with care. They absolutely loved this healthy appetizer as a family idea that could certainly serve as a supplement to a dinner meal. Imagine entertaining with a platter of this, add on a pretty spread of thinly sliced or shredded colourful veggies such as peppers, carrots, cucumbers and bean sprouts so guests can DIY? Summer is around the corner- it'll be so fabulous-cool! 

Mmm... mouthwatering! They love it spicy, so we have some Thai chilis, sliced as a table condiment.

Dressed for success!

Awww... sharing is caring! How much do I love this shot 😃

Full Recipe:

PF Chang Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Hacked)
Makes 6 servings

2 Tbsp. oil
1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, if dried, hydrate in water to cover for four hours, drain and chop
1 cup water chestnuts, diced
1 green onion, chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce, peeled into cups, and torn into hand-size pieces
A handful of dried vermicelli thin rice noodles

Special Sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. hot Chinese mustard or Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. water
sambal oelek chili sauce to taste

Stir Fry Sauce:
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add all the ingredients except the mustard and chili sauce. Mix well and refrigerate. Add mustard and chili sauce when ready to use as a dipping sauce.

Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl for the stir-fry sauce. Heat oil in wok/skillet over high heat. Sauté chicken for one minute, then add the garlic and mushrooms; cook for one minute more before adding the water chestnuts. Pour the stir fry sauce and sauté the mixture until cooked. Toss with green onions.

Heat ½ cup of oil until hot and fry the vermicelli in strands or a bunch. Crumble on top of chicken in a serving bowl along with lettuce "cups" and serve with special sauce.